Tree pruning victim named

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Police have named the man who died in a tree pruning accident in Feilding.

Ross Milton Turner, 65, was crushed when something went wrong with his safety equipment as he was pruning a tree before trying to fell it at a friend's home in Seddon St, Feilding, on July 16.

Emergency services were called to the house about 11.55am, and the quiet street was cordoned off well into the afternoon as emergency services worked to free Turner's body.

At the time of the accident, police said it was believed that safety equipment holding Turner became caught as he cut a limb from the tree, pulling him into the trunk and crushing him.

Turner was a member of several community groups, including the Bunnythorpe Volunteer Fire Brigade, where he was a senior firefighter, and Hockey Manawatu.

Fire Service Manawatu area commander Mitchell Brown put a notice in the Manawatu Standard offering condolences to Turner's family on behalf of the fire brigade.

Bunnythorpe brigade senior station officer Colin Smith has asked for members of the brigade to wear their uniform, caps and service honours when attending Turner's funeral service, which will be held in the Life Church in Palmerston North today.

In lieu of flowers, Turner's family have asked for donations to be made to the Bunnythorpe Volunteer Fire Brigade.